Holiday has been sub-all star level the last 3 games, and in about 7 out of 20 overall in my view. Does that make an all-star these days? You tell me. (C'mon Doc, don't parrot your buddy; we don't need another fake all-star selection this winter.) Maybe Thorn - if he's still on duty at the quill - can sign Jrue's brother to cover his assignments at the defensive end of the court for better comprehensive results... Patty & Kathy Duke 'em, so to speak.

On the entirely commendable side, Jrue HAS cut down on serving Spalding sandwiches to unsuspecting courtside spectators the last 3 wks. As a result, the organization is saving on emergency first aid accessories.

I think 7/20 is probably a pretty accurate number. Might even be low. I'm just not sure what percentage of games a legit all star would play below all star level.

I'd rather he didn't make the All Star game this season, even if he plays great between now and then. Get the extra rest, and maybe develop a chip on your shoulder to play some F YOU hoops down the stretch.

12 assists to 3 turnovers in 84 minutes against the type of pressure the Celtics were putting on him the entire time was impressive. Not much else was on the offensive end from those two games, but he did a great job of taking care of the ball.

I think part of it is perception - The Knicks are finally doing what they're 'supposed to do' (and we all know carmelo is better when amare is hurt) and Jrue is performing 'without' the guy who was supposed to make it easier.

His gist on the MVP was really that Lebron deserves it almost every year but voters don't wanna keep giving it to him

Oh dolla dolla bill, there's a reason I begin to smile in anticipation when I light upon one of your ever artful offering...today, "if he's still on duty at the quill" pleased me no end. I feel like we must be distant cousins or something

22 year old kid still maturing, he's doing fine, he is missing one of the most important pieces on his team, still has a restrictive coach who over reacts to mistakes and is in love with mediocre gunners.

He's doing fine, with more talent around him he'd probably get more props and have less bad games - sometimes when a guy has to try and carry the team - he's not ready to do it

Kobe keeps trying to carry the lakers - but he can't - cause they aren't sitting dwight in the fourth yet

The Sixers have the 27th ranked offense in the league (fueled by their 25th ranked offensive rebounding rate, 28th ranked FTA to FGA ratio, and 26th ranked eFG%, which in turn, of course, is fueled by some of the league's worst shot selection - 5th in the league in long twos taken, but just 19th in threes in spite of all of our "shooters," and 29th in attempts at the rim).
They have only the 10th best defense.
Together, you get a team that's 20th in the league in scoring margin...
But that's not the worst of it, as so far we've played the second softest schedule in basketball, by basketball reference's rankings.
So my prediction, in light of all of this, is near-total collapse. I don't expect us to lose our next 11 games, but I think 2-9 is perfectly possible.

Yeah, I think it's going to get pretty bad. I had them going 2-6 on the Ice Capades trip, and I wasn't firm w/ 2 wins. That's why I keep saying 4 games over heading into it, so they're at .500 coming home. Going to be really tough for them to do that, though.

They're just not that good right now. I love some of the changes Jrue has made. Think he's playing a great game right now as a PG, but when they need him to do all the distributing (and really, Turner isn't distributing at all, when he's on the ball, he's just driving with his head down 90% of the time), and carry the scoring load w/ a +25% USG, and him being the defensive focus of the other team, it's just not going to work. Don't think any PG in the league could succeed when asked to do all of that, and the best PGs have much better players around them than Jrue does.

I think tonight is the first game this season I would call an important win [too early to be a must win]. They need to show us something tonight.

Brian, I couldn't agree more on your comments re: Jrue's All Star status. Let's have him ready to prove something come the playoffs.

The most shocking thing about the last meeting was the Sixers winning the turnover battle 4 - 17 and getting blown out. While the bigs match up is not favorable, this needs to be a game where the Sixers rise up and assert themselves ... taking control over the game in the first half and building from there.

I just don't see them winning this game tonight. Of course, that is taking into account the abomination of a performance the last time the Pistons stepped into the Wells Fargo Center. But even not taking that game into account, the more game tape that keeps coming available exposing our warts on both ends of the floor and some of these opposing coaches finally waking up and seeing our bigs are trash, should begin to show itself in sharper game planning by the opponents.

Trap/double Jrue and wall off/pack the lane when we're on offense, and put our bigs into pick and rolls when on defense and it really is rather simple when it boils down to it.

Yeah, I kind of feel the same way. Was thinking throughout the workday today that, is this how the Raptors fans have felt all these years (just a team as an example)? Like, you know your team blows and feel dirty if you even expect them to win a game against anyone. If they do win one, you're like all fuzzy inside just because you feel it wasn't worthy (as you say stealing).

The thing that bugged me this morning when thinking about the Toronto example was, I almost would rather be them. I mean, they're what you could call worse than mediocre and that is one of the few ways to actually get better in this league. Rather than being mired in that low-playoff seed/low lottery pick range like the Sixers. I guess it's like some have mentioned before on here including myself, they're not bad enough to get good but not good enough to amount to anything. This treading water year after year makes you want someone to tie a cinderblock to 'em so they'll finally sink.

Where I differ from you is, when I think/talk about the Sixers I don't even shudder one thought to Bynum and what he could offer this team. It's almost like I'm numb to them even acquiring him. I guess it's best to chalk it up to apathy stemming from the whole beginning of him only being out for training camp and the downhill continued bad news slant from there. That, and Jeff Ruland hauntings factor in too I'm sure.

I'm following tom Moore on twitter and based on the quotes from Bynum in pre-game, I think there's a possibility he's done for the year. Swelling is still present in one knee and doesn't seem to be in a hurry to come back.

this game is really depressing right now, not sure if it's because of the Bynum comments, or Swaggy P back gliding around the court in some kind of good weed haze, or Hawes being here at 6.5 mil, but ugh.

well in his defense, most of the time our big man's defender is brought out to the arc enticing a double. Secondly, he seems to want to drive and kick more this year. And lastly, he appears to be in love with starting an attack and pulling up for a long two a lot of the time. Granted, he does accomplish his share of drives all the way to the hoop.

But really, he or Evan are either jacking up a quick contested shot that he never has a chance to motion thru any offense or sets to get the ball back after getting free for a look from deep.

Bad thing is a minute ago I was getting ready to say why doesn't DC put Moultrie in instead of Hawes. Go figure, he then actually inserts Arnett in the game with Hawes which I'm sure makes Moultrie's chances of success increase tenfold.

We have a chance for a two for one w/ the clock stopped and DET shooting free throws. And Doug keeps Wayns and Hawes in the game and runs a two man game which ends in a bad pass for a should-be Wayns turnover. No Jrue or ET inserted.

"If this was the Finals, I’m going to play because I think that’s a serious time and you want to be a part of that."

I just don't know what to say/think when he says shit like this. Leads me to believe he only cares about himself and his back pocket, he doesn't have any allegiance or give a shit about this team. You don't get to the Finals when you're out lolly-gagging around bowling with one knee already messed up causing the other one to get almost as messed up while your teammates are getting their asses handed to them accumulating losses.

He just says it so nonchalantly, like one can just say "Viola!" and end up in the Finals, ignoring all the hard work and long path it takes to get there.

Don't get ahead of yourself, while I wanted Wayns out that doesn't equate to being 'glad' Evan came back in. Though he is having a good game on the offensive end, he's given just as much back on the defensive end.

Aside from the first few games of the season I'd say he's been pretty consistently solid. His defense has definitely been lazy at times and doesn't compare to Jrue's, but his rebounding and aggressiveness on the offensive end are invaluable to the team.

eddies, i gotta hand it to you-0you really meant it last year when you said you'd be thrilled if et proved your doubts wrong....you're a good man, sir, and a terrific sixers fanif i miss all or part of z game i've come to rely on checking your game thread comments to get a sense of how different guys played...you're my kinda sixers fan in the only ways that matter

Turner's shot selection is not nearly as terrible as Willie Green or Swaggy and while he's had some inefficient games, he's also carried the team to wins in several games in this young season where the team needed his scoring and aggressiveness. He also may be the best rebounding guard in the entire league and a line of 15/4/7 per game is nothing to sneeze at.

For the record, I loved and miss the hell out of iggy (especially on the defensive end), but unlike Turner, he was frequently timid in taking the ball to the rack. While Turner's finishing around the rim is suspect at times and needs improvement, I would rather him attack the rim than settle for outside jumpers (something that he also does more often than I'd like). That being said, this is only his 3rd year and he has plenty of room to improve. He also comes at a bargain only making 5 mil this year (Less than Hawes).

his right knee doesn't hurt, still has pain in the left but he thinks it's coming along more quickly than the other one. Pretty sure he just talks sometimes and you have to take whatever he says with a grain of salt though.

that's the truth. dude has all the charisma of flourescent lighting. he brought the phony with him from la but forgot to pack the oily charm...seems like a blank slate. et has had his struggles to be sure, but i can relate to ev's highs and his lows more than i can relate to jrue's mechanical desire to play how coach tells him and talk how his agent tells him.

basketball players are so exposed on the court and et is so much easier to cast in your lot with from up in the grandstands...his heart his on his sleeve and he so obviously feeds off crowd energy...fans are gonna fall for that every time, especially in philly. hopefully after some more time here jrue will ditch the front but for now he is far too guarded to command the room...doesn't connect...like a olitician whose mind is on all the focus group research rather than the voters in front of him...that's why et is the people's choice and jrue's most devoted fanboys seem to live in disproportionate numbers outside of the phl metro

+/- isn't always accurate, in this case, it was. Hawes was less than 00 last night. He had some highlights. The block on Knight, I think it was, comes to mind. But his overall effect was a big negative. His worst play of the night was actually a hoop he scored. He had the ball at the foul line with Jrue standing wide open at the three-point line. Instead of passing it out, instead he tries to throw himself an alley-oop off the backboard, which accidentally goes in. There was no way in hell that play was going to work.

Pistons, 49-46. And when the ball is in Jrue's hands 75% of the time, with friendly home town bookkeeper, with 'itchy fingers' Turner, Young & Richardson by his side, he'd be remiss NOT to notch 4 assists, an inherent aspect of his duty. Brandon Knight, small, certainly no defensive ace - and 22 pts.

Are you sure about that? "Munchkin" Wayns only played 3:49 - did Knight go 4-4 for 10 in that short span? Who else covered him? Where do you go for mano-mano splits?

Knights smile & chin stroke after gettin' smoked: If I'm a teammmate, I'm annoyed at that ego crap. "Just get up and play the game. You're not the first to trip, and won't be the last. Let your 'embarrassment' fuel better D-#."

You've substantiated Jrue's substance substantially (yet sometimes it's just bad shooting and sometimes misses are a product of strong help ... the tape would give the full dope). I don't see him as a stopper though. Often uses picks as opportunities to pause and have a Coke. Decent, most of the time, but certainly not a great defender.

Yeah, there aren't a ton to choose from. Westbrook makes some spectacular defensive plays, as did D. Rose, but neither is particularly consistent on that end of the floor. Personally, I like Brandon Jennings on the defensive end. Does a great job of keeping his man in front of him, even if he doesn't make particularly spectacular plays on that end of the floor. I think Rondo's defense is overrated. He's a gambler. Conley's a good defender.

Jrue's consistency isn't great, it probably should be better than it is, but if I'm picking a PG to defend on a do-or-die possession, I go w/ Jrue.

If we're talking isolation, then yeah, I want Jrue. Quick feet and size to cut off the lane and challenge. If we're talking about fighting through a pick, or going under it, someone else. If we're talking about the pick-and-roll, though, I'd like a big with a pulse helping him defend it.

Yeah, he's up and down. But one stop, I think his top end is the top in the league in isolation. The pick-and-roll defense is bad, mostly because of the bad bigs, but he needs to do a better job as well, even if he isn't getting help. Indecision is a problem, sometimes. Need to be decisive when you're deciding whether to go over or under.

Tom, what's your feeling about Bynum. Mainly, how does the rest of the team seem to be reacting to the drama? Do they seem behind him? Is he an afterthought? Are they sick of hearing about it? Just keeping focused on playing right now w/out him?